Arcanum Mulieris [An Acolyte's Thesis]

[TheHeftyDonut 706]

 

Spoiler

https://youtu.be/mcdNyj_LzxM?list=RDmcdNyj_LzxM

 

Penned in devotion,
Reverend Sister Ildegardaia
Vicar of Theology
Diocese of St. Thomas of Gaekrin
Prioress of St. Judith of Czena

A Treatise on the Duties, Trials, and Devotions of Women

 

In the Year of Our Lord, 653 A.A.

 

 

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I, Ildegardaia Tommasa, daughter of Sigismondo de Savin, a humble servant of the Lord God and of those of his flock, have made myself known on multiple accounts. As a young woman, I actively served as a spiritual advisor to the courts of Alba, and now, I educate and advise the Imperial Courts with my previous responsibilities. It has been my mission to offer the education I was given to all, and I have strived toward my established spiritual community for quite some time, and I hope that this is the start of such. Being a member of consecrated life within the Holy Mother Church has led me to educate many and to walk a path of leadership and fulfillment that I would not otherwise have found. In this time, the Church has helped me find a path to healing and alchemical studies, and I continue to gain more as I serve. I do indeed wish to continue sharing my knowledge as I step foot on this new part of my journey.

 

I hope it is known that what I write is placed before the righteous scholars of the Holy Mother Church, for those souls who lack humility and the ability to submit and truly hold faith in the Lord God shall know vanity. It is with this understanding that I write and find purpose in preserving the instruction I have gathered from a life devoted to observation of the path, specifically that of women within the faith. I hope to capture and honor the duties and devotion of women who hold faith in the Lord God, and to instruct them onward in these duties, that we may build a wiser and more pious community in which younger girls may be raised. Not only do I turn toward that which is plainly seen, but also toward that which is a holy burden unto us women: the sanctity within daily labour and care, and the endurance and strength that is silent yet ever present. I offer these observations concerning the rites, duties, and spiritual life of the daughters of this faith, so that we may continue to build upon this house in the light of God.

 

 

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It is always a prayer of mine that those who read my writings may find inspiration, but specifically in this writing, I hope to reach my fellow women. I speak directly to the feminine so that we may come together in learning of the divine, and of how we are created within the Lord God’s order and fundamental creation. Yet to those men who may find themselves under the steady trance of my pen, I pray you come to hold a deep reverence for the women who surround you - those whom I would consider the Lord God’s stewards of life, nurture, memory, and devotion.

I seek not to elevate one creation above the other, nor to speak as though my word were law, but rather to reflect upon the duties, trials, and devotions entrusted to women throughout generations. I believe those who are truly of the faith, and who sincerely seek the truth of the Lord God, may in time come to meditate upon these thoughts and form their own understanding of such matters.

This writing seeks to acknowledge both the seen and unseen burdens of our devotion - the call to preserve and to care, to suffer and endure hardship with grace, steadfast faith, and humility. Many times have the virtues and duties of men been documented and preserved, while those of their counterparts have remained less spoken of. Thus, this work is written so that the descendants of Horen may no longer overlook such things, though they have never once been overlooked by God.

 

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Being raised in a predominantly Illatian household, the fertility of God's children is understood to be more than the bearing of children; the continuity of life through family in faith is a service unto God in which is also the continuation of our civilization, and so it is sacred and owed due honor. In this continuation, once a child is born, it is then both the man and the woman become stewards of the life. Thus, every stage is carefully observed and noted with celebration and dignified rites, reflecting that the young life must be guided carefully and fully until adulthood.

(Scroll of Virtue, Diligence:6-7)

In the custom of Illatia, a child is to be baptized shortly after birth; this act is typically a private event with family. This first year after the child's birth is seen as a time to give thanks to the Lord God through feast and festivities, the baptism being the initial step into both the Faith and the household for the young. Those following this custom hold that it is traditional to build the spiritual identity from a young age, which lowers the chance of the child turning away from the Lord.

Upon reaching the age of ten, a child of Illatian descent will have started early education, typically using the Holy Scrolls as the base of such. The child will undergo a second private rite, which in Illatian is called "Rinnovo," simply in common, "The Renewal." Once my observation was complete, I realized that this ceremony is seen symbolically as a cleansing of the child as they continue to grow. This second rite is performed to "mock birth," instilling purity, moral discipline, and readiness for whatever path is before the child. It is noted at this time that in Illatian customs, we do not see a difference in the education and raising of the masculine and feminine; responsibility to the faith, family, and society is equal to all members of your household.

Turning sixteen, the child's first public hosting shall take place- a festival, or "Festa del compleanno," in Illatian. This celebration will mark the youth's entry into the public, and they shall plan and host the festival, seeking more career-specific learning opportunities as they prepare for life as an adult; some even are guided along the path for consecrated life. Upon the notes that recall these traditions, I have noticed many times a priest or holy person of some kind is present to offer prayer for the youth as they continue forth in life.

By eighteen, it is traditionally hoped - and often expected - that an Illatian youth will have taken their first binding adult step, thereby completing the progression from child to adult within Illatian social order. For some, this step is marriage; for others, it may be sworn service, guild mastery, higher study, or religious commitment. Each path is regarded as an equal fulfillment of adult responsibility and honor.

I reference this tradition of a people I find myself very familiar with due to the belief that fertility does not end at birth, and is indeed something that extends into shaping the soul, which leads to our preservation of the Lord God's Virtue.

(Scroll of Virtue, Diligence:8)

My final remarks in this book on fertility within the Illatian perspective would be the observation of motherhood, loss, and endurance. Motherhood, though in some cases presents itself as a burden, is also held to be a blessing from God. For our Lord says He has given us the power of His creation, and in all the pain of labor, He has assured us to remain faithful unto Him, through whom we shall be brought closer to righteousness.

We speak of motherhood with reverence, for though the woman may endure physical pain, the wearying work of caring and nurturing the young is likewise to be honored. In many households, it is the woman who plans and ensures that children are well-educated and walk a path of faith unto God. It is through this responsibility that we see the continuity not only of the household, but of culture, discipline, and faith across generations.

I also wish to honor those women who have found themselves filled with grief in the absence of fruitfulness in motherhood. Women unable to bear children, or who suffer miscarriage, stillbirth, or any loss of a child, shall not be considered any less sacred nor any less cared for by the Lord God. Instead, I urge such women to find meaning in giving themselves to the youth who seek new beginnings within families or communities in need, and to find opportunity in teaching and service within their communities. For in this deep trial, many prayers and rites are offered unto you, women.

In the Word, I have read that all things are part of the plan of God, and we should look to Him always when we find ourselves in anger, grief, or confusion at the outcomes of life.

 

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Prayer for Childbirth:
“O Lord God, we seek You to send the Saints Julia and Amyas to care for this coming mother and babe. Grant her strength and faith in You through these hardships she is to face. May You ease her pain and bring her encouragement through this sacred process. Saint Amyas, guide the hands of the healers and midwives who work through the birth, and bless the child forevermore. Attend to the child even after its birth, so it may remain strong and grow to serve You in Your name. Amen.”

The light of creation and the darkness of suffering do often meet in a struggle against one another. For example, a woman through childbirth shall go through many pains for many hours, and yet creation is met at the end of this suffering. Through this life, we see that the Lord God has not given us more than what we women can bear, but instead blesses us with the opportunity to fulfill such a righteous calling. I regard this labor more as a woman’s passage to grow closer to God and learn more of His warming light and love, and the joy that comes with such.

In this time of birth, women do fall to the mercy of God as they bring life into the world, as the perfection of such creation can only be achieved by our Lord. This point is a matter of divine attention, and one where many will care for her in reverent devotion, as God calls for us to seek guidance from Him in everything. Prayers are to be offered, as we ask God to steady the mother's and the babe’s heart, removing fear and offering mercy. We ask God to continue to hold the child and mother in His care, a fact not forgotten: all reside in the care of the Creator.

Somewhat directly after the birth, the child is then blessed and anointed with holy oils as a sign of welcome and the mark of the beginning of life within the flock of God. With this observation and study on the birth of children, I have come to realize that this sacrifice is one of endurance through the hope we continue to see in the light of God. This is a duty, to move forth in this creation despite the hardships that come with it—does this not show the devotion and sacrifice of the faithful woman of the Imperium this day?

 

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The acts of midwifery have for some time been less relevant in the greater scope of medicine, though the most important part of this service is the fact of women caring for one another, working to continue the Lord's great Creation. It is my hope with my writing to emphasize this healing, and how a midwife's continued charitable care of our mothers, sons, and daughters is a step many women may easily find themselves trained to handle, which I believe would bring them closer to God, as selfless charitable works offered unto Him are pleasing unto the Lord. As I continue to pull from the Holy source, the Scroll of Virtue, I turn to the Canticle of Charity where we are given understanding of the great charity and love given unto us by God, and so we are to treat one another in the same kindness, and share in our abundance, as it says, “My abundance is the holy abundance, and My wealth is the virtuous wealth, and all the blessings of the Virtue shall fall before the righteous who share it.”
(Virtue, Charity: 11)

The midwife is not only a comforter of women who find themselves in travail, but also a servant of this charitable foundation within medicine. She must know the proper tending of the mother before a babe is born; she shall understand the proper care for the birthing chamber, preparing linens, waters, oils, and herbs, all to ease the suffering that a laboring mother goes through. The midwife will show an understanding of natural remedies and herbs of the world that are not seen within the progressive alchemical potions of today, along with a basic understanding of bodily functions.

Similar to her understanding of adults, she must understand how to effectively care for a newborn infant: cutting the cord, washing and swaddling, watching for fever and weakness, in which an imbalance of humors might present itself. With this care that is needed, and with the cultural rites offered from birth unto adulthood in some regions of this Holy Imperium, I would say that upon the emergency calling of babes near their end, the midwife shall also understand prayer, to bless and offer the child unto the Lord God in that quiet, departed moment.

Unlike many others who practice medicine, the midwife is surely called to present herself as a godly and pious woman. Like all who are in service of the Lord, she should understand, or seek to understand, the Word of our Lord God, and move to share such among kin, friends, and those she might call a patient. To render ourselves unto these virtues, we must accept the action in full, and so she must be willing to rest with others in their suffering, and act righteously unto the poor, showing impartiality unto all.

I find that in all of my observations, the midwife does see plenty of hardship when she finds herself wanting to have a relationship with God, as she is made witness to all the sufferings of her sisters within His Holiness. But within such trials, we must remember that the Lord does not call us to suffer more than what we can bear, as stated throughout the Canticle of Diligence. This hardship comes with great honors, as it shows the trust we must have in one another; the kinship God wishes for us to have is that which will bring us closer to the action of the Word.

So, be this my call to those women who seek not a full education in that of medicine, but seek to serve God in ways outside of taking the vows of consecrated life. Find me, and we shall educate you so you may serve your communities' women in their health and childbearing. Saint Julia and Amyas pray for us.

 

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Spoiler

https://youtu.be/oKfnND0Twr0?list=RD4qzAi7JoKGE&t=45

 

 

 “O Lord, guide our minds as we study the herbs and methods that were studied and given unto us by Saint Amyas. We ask that all remedies be blessed in your care and anointed in your light, so that we may use them as an instrument of healing unto the faithful flock. Saint Amyas, we pray you guide our hands as we measure and cure. Amen.”

We, as descendants, seek fellowship with those similar to us. Yet God calls for us to remain in fellowship with all in the world, and to remain willing to share His Word. Within my life, I have learned that healing is both that of the body and that of the spirit. Through day-to-day medicine, we heal the body, offering herbal remedies and tinctures to the sick, yet often do the medics forget to offer prayer and spiritual healing for their patients. Being called to act charitably in all things, we must remember that to bring one closer to God is to truly be fulfilled; to know God truly is to be healed in spirit. So those doctors, physicians, and midwives remain diligent in their work of the body and spirit.

In my own healing work, I have come to understand that those alchemical herbs most commonly used today carry plenty of risk that can be avoided in most common cases, if we choose to use those herbs and natural things given unto us through Creation. In my tutelage under the Matron Roswyn Halcourt, I had been instructed to study the herbs that are commonly found, as to the alchemical variants later studied by our forefathers. It is with her words in my mind that I have created the proper collection of oils, herbs, and household remedies, which I set forth here for the aid of those in need.

Natural Remedies
These remedies should be gathered in the service of God, His love and mercy, charity, and the care of those who suffer within body and spirit. For healing is twofold within this life: all that restores the flesh, and quiets the spirit from its suffering.

For Weariness of the Body- Take rosemary and infuse it into warm oil. Apply this rosemary oil to ease a woman's labor struggles, apply after labor is complete. The body shall take the effect of the infused oil as the patient rests, allowing the healing process to commence through steady prayer and rest.

For Sleep- Take lavender and steep it in warm water, or place it in the room near the patient to calm the mind. You could also take a mixture of lavender, passionflower, and skullcap to make a tea to ease the nerves and rest. Warm milk added to such a remedy for children is beneficial. Drink this an hour or so before slumber.

For Fever: To increase the chances of a fever being broken, take cool, clean water and infuse it with willow bark. A cool towel can also be placed on the patient's forehead in promotion of breaking the fever.

For Sorrow and Grief: Chamomile and mint are great herbs that can offer a calming effect to those who suffer grief; some even use chamomile to promote slumber. It is proper for these matters of remedies to be accompanied by prayer and a companion, for grief is something eased through the kindness and presence of others. This is the love of Kinship we descendants hold, the love for fellow creations we follow

A wash of vinegar and clean water, with pepper and mint, can be used to cleanse the hands, linens, and spaces of the sick. Cleanliness is to be protected from the worsening of the sickness throughout, this is for the patient, caregiver, and location of healing.

A layer of honey and aloe vera mixed into a wax made from the same bees can help skin with broken barriers to heal with consistent use. Many may turn this into a simple salve to carry in a jar, day to day. Other herbs healthy for the skin are: mint, rosemary, and turmeric.

In all these remedies, let the user remember that mercy itself is a form of this sacred art form we call medicine. To ease the suffering of another through any means is a service unto the Lord and unto this continent we live upon.

 

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“22 But Julia was wise and recalled her husband’s warning. 23 She revealed Iblees, and the Denier was cast out of the camp, and he was very wroth.” (Scroll of Gospel, Book of Horen)

In my final book, I wish to touch on the upkeep of spiritual health that is found within the lands of the Imperium. For this, I speak on the first hours of a woman’s passed spouse, where a household embarks upon a temporary widowhood and mourning. It is upon the duty of the mourning widow to guide her husband’s passing rites, and the same responsibility is placed upon the husband. In many forms, the woman is seen as a wise individual who can discern the light from the dark, and so even in this time, the mourning woman shall guide her family into celebration, not an age of complete darkness, for it should be celebrated that a life has been given to peace, rid of suffering, as we pray they reach the heavenly skies.

The preparation of the dead is then undertaken within the household, where the body is tended by kin alone. It is washed and made ready for burial in reverence; these duties should not be given to outsiders. A vinegar wash, as stated in the natural remedies, shall be used on the body to promote cleanliness, though strong masses of mint and frankincense are used in this matter to avoid any smells from the vinegar. 

It is observed in some cultures that keening shall take place in honor of the dead, to offer a send-off, an audible viewing of the family’s mourning state. In this tradition, men shall not be called to participate and wail out, but instead, women of relation shall come forth and cry out in remembrance of their loved one, and so the fallen shall leave exactly as they entered this life, through the hardship, devotion, and cries of their mother and those blessed women who guide the child’s birth - as we offer our voices to the Lord, we offer our voices to those who may no longer be able to use theirs to honor the Lord. Rest their souls.

In this time, loneliness, endurance, and prayer are borne within the household, especially by the widow, who remains in restraint and devotion throughout. Prayer is sustained not only as duty but as comfort, carried through silence and procession, binding the living to the departed in continued spiritual care.

Within all we do to care for one another, women are held to be the natural preservers of memory and faith. It is through women that we are brought into life and first taught the Word of God in our early adolescence. It is likewise the hands of women who guide us gently through hardships when the body begins to fail. In their care, the memories of those who fought in battles past are kept alive, and faith in the Lord God is continued. So all that is given to us and learned, all that has suffered, and all that is loved is not lost to time nor to our loving God.

 

 

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that having spoken of the duties of faithful women, I return to that which is most quiet: faith carried without witness, and that virtue without reward. For not all holiness is declared. Within this quietness is the true strength of the faithful, where God clearly sees, and where the world might not acknowledge. All things done in humility are not done in vain, and the Lord God shall not turn away from us in our quiet and careful service unto Him.

To those mothers who do hold sorrow and joy; to the daughters, whose mission is to learn and show their honored piety; to those widows, who endure in the absence of loved ones - take not my words as instruction but use them as encouragement. I encourage you to remain steadfast in these duties we hold naturally, not for the reason they are acts unto God, but for the reason that our acts and services are just extensions of Creation, gifted unto us. May God take you in your time of passing, and not give you an end but instead a welcome home into the skies, where peace and mercy is eternal with Him.

 

[TheOnlyTub 550]

 

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Acolyte,

This thesis has many merits, and while some may disagree with the intent of the thesis and the content it portrays it invites discussion and presents theological support for the ideas it contains. It reminds us that all GOD's creation is unique, beautiful, and purposeful in their own ways be they shepherd or protector. I am pleased to accept your thesis and invite you into the priesthood.

IN NOMINE DEUS,
Iudas Cardinal Numenost 

Prefect of the Priesthood

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